Select Local Merchants

Started by owners Mark and Dave, Decatur Bikes moved to Decatur four years ago and still continues to cater to fellow athletes in the community with equipment, repair services, and advice. Mark and Dave guide patrons through the shop?s selection of high-quality brands to find a ride that will maximize efficiency and comfort without replacing the seat with a La-Z-Boy. Each bike bought at the shop comes with free basic adjustments for life, and the shop?s experienced technicians are always available for more extreme fix-ups. Decatur Bikes also sells a variety of bike apparel, nutritional bars, and supplements for athletes' various needs.

Whitewater rapids churn the Chattahoochee River into a winding roller coaster, where rafters paddle in unison and shriek in delight at every unexpected thrill Mother Nature throws their way. But 100 feet above this speeding waterway lies a completely different thrill: the Blue Heron Adventure. The dual zipline stretches 1,200 feet across the river, connecting Georgia to Alabama on a thrilling journey that accelerates to speeds of 40 mph?the only zipline to connect two states. But the fun doesn't end there?the Blue Heron Aerial Course is a treetop aerial course that will meet you after ziplining into Alabama that features 10 obstacles such as tunnels, balance beams, and bridges. After enjoying the fun on the Alabama side, visitors are conveniently shuttled back to the starting point via a motorized canyon raft.
A Look at Whitewater Express
As former designers of water courses at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Whitewater Express opens up the wonders of Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina to youth groups, coworkers venturing out on corporate outings, and outdoorsy vacationers with a wealth of activities and exploration opportunities at four different camps. Visitors hike and bike through the fresh, pine-scented air of the Great Smoky Mountains at the Ocoee location, which features 225-plus acres of unspoiled wilderness?or raft past downtown Columbus on a Chattahoochee River trip. Guests can survey the scenery as guides pilot whitewater rafts and kayaks down the scenic Ocoee and Nantahala Rivers; relax in rustic log cabins; or play paintball on a woodsy outdoor course.

Francisco Antonio Rodrigues da Silva⎯better known to his students as Mestre Fran⎯began his journey with Caopeira at age 10, studying the ancient dancelike martial art under a seasoned teacher in Sao Paolo. After years of learning the hypnotic rhythmic moves of Capoeira and studying the African dance rhythms of Macuele, Mestre Fran took his art to the streets of Londrina, Brazil, giving impoverished youth a positive outlet for their creative energies with public performances and classes. After developing a successful martial arts organization in his home country, Mestre Fran set out for the United States in 2002, introducing Americans to Caoperia through cultural shows throughout the Atlanta area and instructing newcomers through beginner, children's, and adult classes.
Like punching a portrait of your smug fruit bowl, capoeria combines both art and fighting. The practice develops the mind, body, and spirit by instilling self-confidence, building agility and strength, and teaching students about the vibrant culture of Brazil. Capoeiristas twist and bob to the rhythm of drums as they execute gymnastic kicks and turns, or they show off their newfound knowledge at the studio's Friday-night Samba, Macuele, and Portuguese language classes.

It's impossible to pick out Debbie Miller-Palmore's most impressive feat as a basketball player. She has played in the Olympics. She was an All-American during her time at Boston University, and still holds school records in everything from rebounding to steals. The mayor of Boston was impressed enough with her play to name January 31st "Debbie Miller-Palmore Day."
In her Top of the Key program, Miller-Palmore helps young athletes ascend towards her level with a variety of camps and clinics. Open to ages 9-18, her training sessions blend on-the-court practice with weight lifting, agility drills, and mental conditioning, which helps players stay focused throughout each game's mandatory second-quarter confetti shower.
Another asset to young players? Miller-Palmore's picture book, Play with H.E.A.R.T., about maintaining your confidence on the court.

The Barefoot n Motion Dance Academy sets a high standard for its dancers. But with many of them being first timers or toddlers who just learned to walk, there's often more focus on enjoying movement than being the best in the class. An array of diverse classes challenges dancers as young as 2 as well as teenagers and adults. The curriculum includes modern dance, hip-hop, ballet, jazz and West African dance. Instructors such as Julia Defoor, who studied at the prestigious Moscow Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School, oblige those who want to take their skills to the next level by leading advanced classes—which is what diamond-scaled fish call their castes.

Belly dance guru Saroya has been practicing and teaching the middle eastern dance form for more than two decades, a career path that has taken her across the country to numerous competitions and festivals. At Bellydance by Saroya, she imparts her routine expertise on students of all ability, leading beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes that make use of layered movements and zills—finger cymbals—to help maintain rhythm and keep thumbs in shape.